Book People# Kelsey Finklestein- Meet Meredith Zeitlin's High School Heroine

Hello and welcome to another episode (post) on Book People.

A (pretend) show I host here at Assortments. The dates of the

show are uncertain and infrequent. I interview characters I like/

enjoyed meeting at random. This interview I did a while

ago but didn't get around to posting. 

I was still debating over whether I should after the book had released

or before.

Freshman Year and other Unnatural Disasters comes in March 2012.

My interview contains a lot of spoilers so its your call on

whether you want to continue reading this post or not. 

don't say I didn't warn you! *SPOILER ALERT*

So here goes, today we have on Kelsey Finkelstein debuting, next month, from Freshman Year and other Unnatural Disaters! *round of applause*

Finkelstein sounds like a name I would give my zombie doll, hehe. Meredith Zeitlin helped organize and 

co-ordinate this interview with Kesley. A big shout out and thank you to Meredith! 

       In retrospect tell us 5 things you LOVED about Freshman Year? 

Well, there were actually lots of things I loved... at first. Then they turned into total and complete nightmares. So... let’s see: finding out Jemma had MOVED (actually, that one stayed awesome the whole year), making JV soccer, getting invited to Jordan’s Halloween party, going to the Foreign Scarves concert, and finding an amazing dress to wear to the Prom. Those things were all great! Until, of course...  they were ruined. 

Le sigh.

 

       Now, tell us 5 things you HATED about Freshman Year? 

I’m supposed to narrow it down to five?! Well, everything I just mentioned ended up being a disaster. Meeting Julie Nelson was a catalyst for some of those disasters, so I think that is number one, definitely. Getting forced to play goalie, finding out my supposed best friend was hooking up with the guy I liked, having random hideous pictures of me plastered all over the school paper, my idiot prom date get arrested for smoking weed in the parking lot... yeah, those were all pretty hate-worthy. Not to mention... oh, was that 5 already?

       Hmm... How about an experience that you think every Freshman Year must not miss out on? 

Hm. Well, I think joining one club or team (or whatever) that you’re really into is important. It just gives you something to focus on besides, like, who you want to hook up with and your parents trying to get you to start studying for the SATs two years in advance and why every teacher in school is trying to destroy you and other insane things like that.

Okay now, the tricky part...

       3 things you like about each of your mates- Jojo, Cass and Em? 

JoJo: she always says what she thinks, she never lets anyone tell her what to do, and she comes up with the most fun and crazy things to do.

 Cass: can be really silly and makes us all crack up - sometimes without meaning to, but it still counts, right? She’s always ready to go to the mat for her friends (well, until a certain incident this year, but still...), and she always lets me have the icing off her cake. 

And Em...: well, she’s super smart and loyal and kind... and she’s the best sounding board in the world for all my problems. I heart all three of them to the maximum - I’m super lucky to have such awesome friends.

       Tell us, very quickly how did you meet each of them? 

Em and I met (or whatever babies do) in Central Park when we were toddlers and our moms put us in the same playgroups and stuff; my parents work in Manhattan, where she lives, so it was easier for them to take me to things there. So we’ve been friends since we were, like, one.  

We were in kindergarten with Cassidy, and JoJo came in elementary school. Her dad was in a rock band for a thousand years or something and JoJo and her mom used to travel around the world with him, but then he finally decided to settle down in NYC so JoJo could have a 

“normal childhood.”

       Do you have a “favourite” best friend, among the three, one whom you feel closest too? 

Well, Em is my true bestie. I love JoJo and Cass, but Em is like my other half. I couldn't make it without her.

Since you have a group of one, your take on these next few questions would be interesting.

       Do you think Best Friends last forever? 

I think they can. People change, though, and you have to take care of your friendships like any other relationship - you can’t take it for granted. That happened a bit to me this year, and it was a really important lesson to learn.

      

 In large groups of mates, do you think you can last as best buddies right through or a break up is inevitable? 

I don’t think a break-up is inevitable, but it can definitely happen. Look at me and Cass this year! But sometimes that can make a friendship stronger - because you appreciate it more, and you’re more careful with it in the future. On the other hand, sometimes friendships just end. I hope that doesn’t happen with me and my friends, but... I guess time will tell. Man, I’m very philosophical today!

       Do you believe that boy-girl “best friends” can last, for real? 

I think so. Why not? I don’t have a guy best friend, but I’d be open to it. Ben’s best friend is a girl, and they do everything together. Well. Not everything.

Random:

Your favorite subject? 

Ugh. Lunch? I guess... History. It’s certainly the most interesting and potentially useful. I get good grades, but I don’t really love school. There just seem to be so many other things I could be doing, you know?

       What is your idea of fun? 

Hanging out with my friends, going to parties, dancing like a lunatic in my bedroom, playing soccer... shopping! Even though I never have any money. So I guess “window-shopping” would be the more accurate answer? Great - now I’m depressed.

       

Your favorite school activity? 

Well, it was soccer until Julie Nelson ruined my entire life. But hopefully next year will be back to normal, so I’ll stick with SOCCER.

And a last one:

 Some advice to remember before starting Freshman Year... 

I guess try to roll with the punches. Things are probably not going to work out the way you planned, but you have to keep trying to have a good time and make the most of things. And sometimes you’ll be surprised by what ends up happening, and how it’s actually better than what you had hoped for in the first place. Or, you know, just hide in your closet until graduation. Oh - is that bad advice? Sorry. You can erase it.

Any last words? 

Sophomore year better be easier than freshman year was, or I’m moving to Saturn.

 

With that last picture, we come to the end of today's show. 

Thank you Kelsey Finklestein for being a part of Book People. :)

Now for my viewers out there, Finklestein is part of the cast that will be debuting this March in Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin.

(click on the image of the book, right on top, to add it to you e-tbr!)

 I received and ARC which I finish reading a while ago. I shall be putting up a review soon, so keep a look out for it. If you like humor, though high school YA fiction was boring and cliche, and looking for a book to read, go book your copy. This was a super fun read.

--x--

Last time on Book People: